1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for displaying an image. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for displaying a computer simulation image of trying on clothes.
The present invention also relates to a recording medium storing a program for a computer to perform the display of the computer simulation image.
If a customer of a tailor or a boutique can see a computer simulation image of herself or himself wearing a cloth selected by the customer, the customer service will be improved. In such a simulation system, it is desirable to display the image as a three-dimensional computer graphic (3-D CG) image in which the fitting sense of the selected cloth is adapted to the proportion and the face of the customer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in the computer graphics field, some methods of displaying an object while rotating the object in the three-dimensional space are known. One of the methods that is used widely for various applications generates three-dimensional modeling (polygon) data and uses the data for displaying a three-dimensional object.
If the above-mentioned method is adopted, three-dimensional modeling data are generated in advance. The object can be displayed while being rotated. The image of the object viewed from any direction can be displayed with certain image quality depending on the modeling.
However, in order to use the above-mentioned method, the three-dimensional modeling data indicating the object should be generated in advance. Therefore, the data generating process becomes very complicated. In addition, generation of the three-dimensional modeling data can be very difficult depending on the shape of the object. Particularly, in order to improve the display quality of the object, the three-dimensional modeling becomes complicated, resulting in further complicated process of modeling.
A system for automatically generating the three-dimensional modeling data by using a three-dimensional scanner is proposed for improving the above-mentioned inconvenience. However, such a system is still expensive, and has many restrictions on performance of automatically generating the three-dimensional modeling data (such as a restriction of lighting or a background). In addition, an object to which the system can be applied is also limited. The system cannot be applied to a human head that requires a fine expression for hairs, for example.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that can achieve a display of a whole body by using three-dimensional data only for a shape of a part of the object and by using two-dimensional image for the other part so as to combine the two-dimensional image with the three-dimensional shape data and so that the visible data with the same quality as the case where the whole body is displayed by the three-dimensional data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that enables the fitting simulation display substantially in the three-dimensional form with a little data quantity.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for displaying an image of an object including a first part and a second part is provided. The first part corresponds to a body under neck of a human, while the second part corresponds to a head (face), for example. The method comprises the steps of constructing a three-dimensional shape model by modeling a shape of the first part of the object in a virtual three-dimensional space, constructing a two-dimensional image of the first part of the object in accordance with the three-dimensional shape model when viewing the object from a predetermined direction, constructing a two-dimensional image of the second part of the object when viewing the object from the predetermined direction, combining the two-dimensional image of the first part with the two-dimensional image of the second part so as to generate a combined two-dimensional image of the first and the second parts, and assigning the combined two-dimensional image to the three-dimensional shape model.
Thus, an image of an object with a high quality can be obtained by modeling only the shape of the first part of the object into the three-dimensional space and by assigning the combined two-dimensional image to the three-dimensional shape model. Accordingly, even if the three-dimensional shape model is simplified, the object can be displayed with high quality by making the two-dimensional image with high quality, and the process for generating data can be simplified. Even if the object is difficult to make the three-dimensional shape by the present technology, it can be easily three-dimensionalized. In addition, since the complex object having a lot of potential data quantity of the three-dimensional shape can be displayed by using the three-dimensional shape model indicating the shape and the two-dimensional image, the data quantity can be substantially reduced with little deterioration of quality.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises a displaying step of generating a plurality of combined two-dimensional images of the first and the second parts of the object from a plurality of directions in accordance with designation of direction designating means for designating the predetermined direction, and displaying one of the plural combined two-dimensional images selectively.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the displaying step includes a step of displaying the plural combined two-dimensional images sequentially and continuously.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for displaying an image of an object including a first part and a second part is provided. The apparatus comprises means for constructing a three-dimensional shape model by modeling a shape of the first part of the object in a virtual three-dimensional space, means for constructing a two-dimensional image of the first part of the object in accordance with the three-dimensional shape model when viewing the object from a predetermined direction, means for constructing a two-dimensional image of the second part of the object when viewing the object from the predetermined direction, means for combining the two-dimensional image of the first part with the two-dimensional image of the second part so as to generate a combined two-dimensional image of the first and the second parts, and means for assigning the combined two-dimensional image to the three-dimensional shape model.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an apparatus further comprises direction designating means for designating the predetermined direction, and displaying means for generating a plurality of combined two-dimensional images of the first and the second parts of the object from a plurality of directions in accordance with designation of the direction designating means and displaying one of the plural combined two-dimensional images selectively.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the displaying means display the plural combined two-dimensional images sequentially and continuously.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium is provided. The recording medium stores a program for a computer to perform the method that comprises the steps of constructing a three-dimensional shape model by modeling a shape of a first part of the object in a virtual three-dimensional space, constructing a two-dimensional image of the first part of the object in accordance with the three-dimensional shape model when viewing the object from a predetermined direction, constructing a two-dimensional image of a second part of the object when viewing the object from the predetermined direction, combining the two-dimensional image of the first part with the two-dimensional image of the second part so as to generate a combined two-dimensional image of the first and the second parts, and assigning the combined two-dimensional image to the three-dimensional shape model.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a method for displaying a computer simulation image is provided. The method comprises the steps of displaying a three-dimensional image on a display screen, the three-dimensional image being based on memorized three-dimensional data corresponding to a human body under neck, displaying a two-dimensional image on a display screen, the two-dimensional image being based on data of a head portrait shot as a photograph, and combining the three-dimensional image of the body under neck with the two-dimensional image of the head portrait so as to display a whole body of the human by the combined image.